Baled hay conveyer



S. F. SMITH BALED HAY CONVEYER Aug. 5, 1952 2 SHEETsf-SHEET 1 Filed Feb. 8, 1950 E., ma SE D O m. HR cm 5 H BY Man/w wg w- Aug. 5, 1952 s. F. SMITH 2,605,884"

BALED HAY CONVEYER Filed Feb. 8, 1950 2 Sl-IEETs-SHEETIz 2/ i INI/ENTOR.

vemployed between the jointed sections;

Patented Aug. 5, 1952 i f 2,605,884 e Barten-,Hav Conversa iSherwood'-F.`."Smith, Gaithersbuitg,Md. Applicationfrebrgary s, 195o, sardine; 143,014

-1 i "The present, invention relates to thegeneral class ofpower driven and portable conveyors of the sectional, single lane, and closed path, type, and more specifically to an improved baled-hay conveyor, which while well adapted for handling and transferring various kinds of material and articles, is especially designed"Y for conveying successive bales, of hay.V The invention is embodied inV a sectional conveyor in whichv the sections, 'or separable units are jointed or coupled insuch manner Athat they may readily be tilted-or relatively adjusted in a vertical plane forelevating and forlowering a singleline of bales of hay, as for instance when the balesare being transferred from a balingpress and loaded upon a truck or other carrier. The Vconveyor may also be employed as a transfer mechanism for loading and shipping purposes, as well as for unloading and storage purposes. For these purposes, the plural sections or units of the conveyor may be coupled together and supported Y from below upona suitable base, `or as vhereinafter described and illustrated the sections of the jointed conveyor maybe suspended from an overhead support, and relatively adjusted by hoist lines in a vertical plane. The conveyor may be extended or contracted by the use of complementary sections orunits to vary its overall length in adapting it to different distances between a supply station and a discharge or delivery station. A ,Y

AEach of the plural sections is equipped with an endless conveyor mechanism and operating means therefor; power transmission means are means are utilized between adjoining coupled sections for assuring smooth operation of the endless conveyor units yand the powertransmis- -sion mechanismas will be described.

The invention consistsin-'certain novel combinations and arrangements of these parts as will be more particularly set forth in the appended claims. The conveyor includes a minimum numberiof parts that vmay with facility be manufactured at low costv of production, and theparts may be assembled withiconvenienc'e' to insure a durable appliance that is simple in construction ando'peration and may be'econtrolled with ease. the accompanying drawings `1 have trate` one completev example of a physical ernbodiment of my invention wherein-the parts are combined and `arranged in accord with one mode I ,have ldevisedfor the practical applicationv of the principles of thevinvention. It will however be understood that changes kand alterations are illusc ably of angle irons, and

u u s claims; (c1. 19a-92) contemplated and maybe Amade in' these mechanical structures, within the scope 'of my claims, without departing from the principlesfof the invention. f Y

Figure lis a plan view showing the power section at the supply end of the conveyor, andthe adjoining'end of another conveyor section; and Figure/2 is afview in side elevation of this structure.A Figure v3isan enlarged detail vertical VVsectional view at line V3--3 ofFig. l. v Y Figure'4 is a transverse vertical sectional-.view at line 4-4 of Fig. 3; fr

Figure A5v isa diagrammatic end velevation of the vconveyor on a'reduced scale; andFigure is a side elevation of the structure in Fig. 5'.' In order that thefgeneral assembly and utility of parts may readily vbe understood I -have disclosed in Figs. 5 and 6 a conveyor supply cr power section A, and an alined and relatively adjustable section B, and it will be understood that similar sections B may be successively coupled together to rextend the length of the appliance' and ,providev a discharge or delivery sectioneat'the end of the appliance. Y, As here shown each'sectonis suspendedv from a 'single rafter R, or other overhead support, by hoist lines L and pairs of longitudinally spaced bails or pivoted yokes as D. and by. usualmanipulation of the hoist lines eachsection may vbe tilted in a vertical plane for elevating or for lowering the bales vof hay, as H, asV they are successively conveyed to the left inFigs. 1,-2, and 6, for delivery in loading, as well vas `inunloading operations.' Y i f Y The supply section, or power sectioniA, and the additional sections B for extendingv the length of the conveyor, are similar in construction and of approximately equal lengths, and eachv section includes an openrectangular-frame madejup of a pair ofv laterally spaced andlongitudinallyextending side Vbars I and y2, prefer'- a complementary pair of lower side' bars 3 and '4, that are rigidly united by exterior end plates 5,1 5,;wlded or otherwise secured to the pairs of side fbars.-r For transversely reinforcing 1 and bracing thel open frames', anumber of crossbars, as 6,'here shown f as channel plates arelweldedmthe 1ower edges or facesV of the lower side bars-l3and ll,V near their ends, and upright angle-iron postsvl, 1,-are also `welded tov and unite the vertically spaced pairs of side bars I- andj 2--4, to providev a rigid structure for a section. l The? open top frame ofl each 'off the sections port, of an endless conveyor mounted in each section and means for driving one of said conveyors, each conveyor including a rotary shaft spaced laterally of the pivotal connection, spring pressed bearings for the shafts mounted in the adjoining sections for tightening said endless conveyors, a pulley wheel mounted on each said shaft and a power transmitting belt mounted on the pulley wheels, a spring pressed lever mounted on one section, and a roller journaled on said lever` in Contact with the belt for tightening the belt.

3. In a single path bale-hay conveyor, lthe combination with an overhead longitudinally extending support, a pair of longitudinally alined sections each Yhaving an endless conveyor unit, adjustable means coacting with the support and each section for suspending the sections in a vertical plane, power transmission mechanism operatively connecting said units, and power operated means for activating one of the units,

6 of a pair of laterally spaced end-plates mounted on each of the adjoining ends of the sections and terminating in pairs of lapped bearing heads, and a pair of transversely arranged pivot bolts and lock nuts thereon for clamping` together the lapped coupling heads.

SHERWOOD F. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 302,599 Stephan July 29, 1884 443,089 Good Dec. 23, 1890 1,165,460 Steele Dec. 28, 1915 n 1,510,479 Hoven Oct. '7. 1924 1,548,842 Keller Aug. 11, 1925 2,222,316 Maguire Nov. 19, 1940 2,530,496 Watson Nov. 2l, 1950 

